Not really, though they've never been better than they are right now. Plus, a brand new one will cost less than a used one will. I've had models from 76, 77, 85, 99, and 06, and to be honest, the 77 is my favorite, but it's really no better than the 06, and anything from 06 to now will have the vintage tone circuit and slimmer neck. Good luck.

Any era of Rick is great quality. However, I'd suggest either a mid- to late-seventies 4001 or a brand new 4003. Your best bet will probably be the latter, although I believe I heard that the early 90's 4003s are very highly though of as well, and at any rate you can order a VTC and install it on any one you want.

about 1986 they started producing what I would call the modern 4003 bass ... stronger neck and modern style truss rods ...

my favorite Rics are the newer ones from about 1997 to present ...

The older ones had slimmer neck but they were also weaker ... the old truss rods were quirky ... if you adjust them wrong you can pop off the fret board ... the old 4001 basses had a .0047 capacitor that eliminated all bass and low mid frequencies from the bridge pickup ... the pre 1990 Rics had 500k ohm tone pots which gave them a brighter and colder sound ...

I also like the 4004 basses ... they have 2 15k ohm humbuckers that are wired in series like a p-bass ...

the 80s are generally the least sought-after, but i really like them. my '85 4003 is my favorite of the ones i've played. i'm also a big fan of the black trim & hardware, which was available from the late 70s until the (early?) 90s.

at some point, i think in the mid-90s, the necks became "fat", which some people like, but others really don't (i don't like them). they've supposedly gone back to the thinner neck profile, but i haven't seen a new one in person to confirm that (though I haven't heard anything to the contrary).

The current ones seem fine to me. I have 2 - 2007 4003s and they are my main basses. Love them. I also owned an early
'80s 4001 and as others have said the truss system went wonky on it and pretty much ruined the neck. This also could have been the tech that worked on it at the time not knowing how to properly set up a Ric.

Well my personal favorites are those from about '69 to '72 (never played an earlier). However the newer ones are great. My least favourites are actually mid to late 70s, but it's entirely a matter of opinion, and each bass varies somewhat anyway, as all basses do. You'll pay a lot for an early 70s/60s one; the current ones are as good value as any. Bear in mind most of the problems with 4001s were caused by people not knowing how to adjust them correctly; with the 4003s it's no longer such an issue due to the "improved" truss rod design.

"although I believe I heard that the early 90's 4003s are very highly though of as well"

I love Ricks and have owned many over the years. One of my favorite basses (and main touring instrument for many years) was an early 1990's 4003. Fantastic instrument.... sold it (like an ass) ...I miss it